New Seaport exhibit building on track for September completion
Editor's Note: This story correct the size of the square footage of the exhibit hall.
Mystic —A year after breaking ground, workers have almost finished the exterior structure of Mystic Seaport’s striking new building, the Thompson Exhibit Building.
A Tuesday tour of the $11.5 million structure with Seaport officials and a representative from the contractor, AZ Corporation of North Stonington, revealed a soaring 26-foot-tall main exhibit hall with massive curved wooden beams forming the roof and evoking the feel of a breaking wave.
The back of the 14,000-square-foot building will feature large windows that will look out over the Mystic River.
Even for a design and construction company that does work around the country on projects ranging from hospitals and colleges to casinos and power plants, the exhibit building was a unique challenge.
“This is a unique building, certainly one of a kind,” said Bob Lynch, an AZ director. “Centerbrook (Architects of Essex) came up with the concept and now here it is coming to life. It’s been a great opportunity for us. We’re honored to be part of this project.”
The building will allow the Seaport to attract traveling exhibits, display more of its own vast collection and make the museum more of a year-round destination.
On Friday the state Bond Commission is expected to approve a $2 million grant for the building.
The Seaport is planning a Sept. 24 grand opening and the building will host its October gala.
The building’s first exhibit, which will feature artifacts from the museum collection that have not been on public display, will open after that.
Lynch and Seaport Director of Facilities Ken Wilson pointed out Tuesday where the different sections of the building will be located as they walked along the dirt where the floor eventually will be.
Visitors will enter through a vestibule into a lobby with bathrooms, a retail shop and staff space.
They will then proceed through a ticket booth that opens into the 5,000-square-foot exhibit hall. At the far end will be a staff conference area.
The building will be the first on the museum’s campus served by geothermal wells for heating and cooling.
A large loading dock will accommodate items as large as a whaleboat, according to Seaport spokesman Dan McFadden. Outside there will be a 6,000-square-foot deck.
Lynch said windows soon will be installed, followed by exterior siding, and then work will shift to the interior.
In addition to AZ and Centerbrook, Wilson said many of the subcontractors working on the project also are Connecticut firms.
j.wojtas@theday.com
Twitter: @joewojtas
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